Run-Down Forums

CHSMile · Water Boy Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 23

What are the benefits of running at 90% your max? What do you risk when you run at 90% your max?

Dan · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2001 6:22 pm Post subject:

Well, you risk injury and burnout, but you potentially gain great muscle memory and cardiovascular conditioning. Seems like a good tradeoff to me, otherwise why bother with all the sweat and pain?

Dan

CHSMile · Water Boy Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 23

It does seem like a good trade off to me too. Thats why it seems so funny to me that Americans dont do it. Isnt it true that at higher altitudes your heart is always forced to pump faster? So woudlnt the Kenyans have an easier time achieving 90% their max?

Dan · Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2001 2:27 am Post subject:

I'm not sure if that's true or not. If it is, I would assume the heart would also become conditioned to have a max rate, so it may balance out. Also, highly athletic people tend to have very low resting heart rates, so 90% is a very significant increase percentage-wise.

Dan

mjsbossman · Junior Varsity Joined: 28 Apr 2001 Posts: 117

So how often can you run at 90% of you max heart rate? And for how much of you run? Because you just can't do a 60 minute run that fast! I had trouble keeping my heart rate at 175 for more than 10 minutes.

Dan · Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2001 4:08 pm Post subject:

According to Anderson's article, which I quoted a piece of on the training page, 50-60% of their training might be done at such a level. You could interpret that several ways, but it probably means a long run or two a week, combined with several runs revving it up pretty high. I've read that it's common for elite Kenyans to run at least part of every run, usually the last mile or two, at 4:30 pace for a 5 month buildup to the army XC nationals, as that is the pace required to win World XC.

Dan

CHSMile · Water Boy Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 23

Do you believe that Kenyans have a genetic advantage?

Dan · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2001 3:36 pm Post subject:

Yes, but I also think they train smarter and harder. Of course, they also tend to have shorter running careers, but they accomplish much more in that time.

mjsbossman · Junior Varsity Joined: 28 Apr 2001 Posts: 117

Well, yes of course Kenyans are genetically gifted. The bad thing, is that every generation will get faster and faster, since the kids will be fast.

CHSMile · Water Boy Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 23

They wont necessarly get faster with each generation. There has to be some sort of circumstance that selects for only the fast in their habitat, then they would get progressively faster.

CHSMile · Water Boy Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 23

So...Anyone think South Koreans have a genetic advantage?

Dan · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2001 2:12 pm Post subject:

How so?

Dan

CHSMile · Water Boy Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 23

Did you see the South Korean win the Boston marathon?

Dan · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2001 2:59 pm Post subject:

Can't say I did. Been busy with other things...

Dan

CHSMile · Water Boy Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 23

Ok. Just wondering seeing how it was the first time a non-Kenyan didn't win in 10 years. The race was also a huge boost for American Distance running do to the great performances from Cox and DeHaven..DeHaven placed 6th I believe...It's a pretty big deal.

Discussion Forum

Share the Love!

What's New

Running Links Directory